Message From the Director
Fall 2024
Dear friends of the Center,
I welcome you to the fall semester!
After an enriching summer in Greece with the Odyssey program, I am excited for the semester ahead. We have a robust line up of academic classes for our undergraduate students, our Extension on-line language program tailored for community learners, and an exciting array of upcoming events. The momentum we have built over the summer promises to carry us forward, fostering both academic growth and cultural engagement.
Our month-long study abroad program brought together an enthusiastic group of 22 undergraduate students who traveled around Greece before settling at the Anargyreios School campus in Spetses to study Greek philosophy and learn about Modern Greek history, society, and culture while fully immersing themselves in the rich experience of Greek life.
Among them, the 6 recipients of the annual Peter and Beverly Caloyeras Odysssey Scholarship: Eva Chahbazian, Ellie Grills, Alexander Henderson, Victor Kallet, Izabella Ojeda, and Joshua Sims.
Our trip concluded with the highly anticipated annual Odyssey photo contest, which showcased a vivid array of student perspectives on what Greece is through their lens of photography. The top prize was awarded to Victor Kallett, with honorable mentions going to Ellie Grills and Alexandra Cheatham. Their reflective images, along with additional highlights from our trip, can be viewed here.
As we embark on the new academic year, I would like to recognize the 2024-2025 Rosalind F. Halikis Scholarship recipients, Anthony Richmond ’27 and Konstantino Richmond ’27. Both are sophomores majoring in Accounting and Finance, with minors in Modern Greek Studies. With family roots in Samos where they spend their summers, they have developed a deep connection to their heritage. Hailing from Redondo Beach, Anthony and Konstantino are active members of the St. Katherine community, where they teach traditional Greek dance.
This year marks a momentous occasion for the Caloyeras Center as we proudly celebrate our 50th anniversary! It is a time to honor the Center’s numerous accomplishments, its contributions to the community, and the many individuals who have been instrumental in sustaining its enduring success. I hope that you will join us in this celebration.
This occasion also marks a unique opportunity to elevate the Center’s presence within the university. As part of this initiative, we will be relocating to a new space in University Hall. This larger, reimagined space will serve as the Center’s offices, conference center and library, providing a hub for academic and community engagement.
We are deeply grateful to the university and BCLA for the space provided to accommodate our growth, especially outgoing Dean Robbin Crabtree for spearheading this move and incoming Dean Richard Fox for guiding it to completion.
As we look ahead to our upcoming fall events and activities, we are pleased to renew our collaboration with two key community organizations.
The Center is looking forward to hosting HAWC’s Pacific Region annual conference: Modern Muses: Celebrating Contemporary Hellenic American Women in the Arts (November 8-9). This year’s theme pays homage to the achievements of exceptional Hellenic American women whose artistic talents resonate with the spirit of the ancient Greek Muses.
On November 16, the Center will host the Greek Heritage Society of Southern California (GHS). A long-time partner of the Center in preserving the cultural heritage of our community, GHS will be celebrating their 39th anniversary with a presentation of the “Yiayia Project: Voices of a Generation,” a storytelling event that aims to preserve the stories and lives of the women who are the core of the Greek family.
In closing, we are thankful to the Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, the Honorable Christina Valassopoulou for her continued support, as well as to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco and the Consulate General of Greece in San Francisco.
The Center would also like to thank the many friends who over the past few months have generously gifted the Center and the Demetrios Liappas Legacy Fund.
I would like to recognize George and Cleola Gavalas, Katharine Free, Hope and Dimitri Berk, Peter and Vivi Demopoulos, Rosalind F. Halikis, James and Caroline Kolokotrones, as well as the Caloyeras family for their leadership gifts and continued support.
In the next months, we hope we can count on your support to reach our target goal of raising $1 million to seed this endowment in perpetuity. The fund will provide support for a much-needed professorship for the Caloyeras Center. This position will allow the Center to strengthen its multidisciplinary programmatic offerings and provide our students the opportunity to expand their knowledge about Greece in new academic perspectives.
I hope you will consider making a gift.
Visit our website to find out more about our academic program, students, events, and our endowment campaign. I am happy to discuss the Center's plans in more detail, should you have any questions.
I am looking forward to welcoming you back to our campus!
With deep gratitude for your support.
Warm regards,
Christina Bogdanou, Ph.D.
Director